Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across

Editorially verified for the Oct 19, 2026

57 Across

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A simple sequence of baby milestones: sitting, crawling, standing, and walking.

Clue explained

Baby steps means small, gradual advances, and the starts of the four entries spell out a baby’s progression: SIT in SIT PRETTY, CRAWL in CRAWL SPACES, STAND in STAND BY ME, and WALK in WALK THE LINE. The theme turns familiar phrases into successive milestones, from sitting up to walking. That sequence gives the clue’s “progression” a literal developmental sense as well as the everyday meaning of making progress a little at a time.

Clue type:
Cross-reference

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Monday, October 19, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Weeper's output
  2. 6Aid and __: help on a heist
  3. 10Miles away
  4. 14Planetary path
  5. 15Puzzle cube creator Rubik
  6. 16Tiny, in tech
  7. 17Long-lived desert plants
  8. 18Enjoy a prime position
  9. 20Ration out
  10. 22"America's Got Talent" judge Mandel
  11. 23Cramped areas under some houses
  12. 27African antelope
  13. 29Turned down
  14. 30Sci-fi blasters
  15. 32Grill briquettes
  16. 33Ukraine's capital
  17. 35Be a bookworm
  18. 36Ben E. King hit that begins "When the night has come / And the land is dark"
  19. 39Danish shoe company
  20. 42Soft throw
  21. 43Solemn promises
  22. 47Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York
  23. 49Extremists
  24. 50Classic Pontiac muscle car
  25. 51Biopic about Johnny Cash and June Carter
  26. 54Many a middle schooler
  27. 56Actress Tyler who voices Lana Kane on "Archer"
  28. 57Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across
  29. 59Swedish stores with flatpack furniture
  30. 63Petri dish gelatin
  31. 64Stratford's river
  32. 65Release
  33. 66"A __ formality"
  34. 67Colorful amphibian
  35. 68Future JDs' exams

Down

  1. 1List of chapters at the front of a book: Abbr.
  2. 2Chapter in history
  3. 3Alphabet starter
  4. 4Actress and philanthropist who has co-produced films with Tom Hanks
  5. 5Most calm
  6. 6Greek fable writer
  7. 7Water filter brand
  8. 8Sinus MD
  9. 9Likely to tip over
  10. 10Over again
  11. 11Exhaustion
  12. 12Insect's feeler
  13. 13"You Got It" singer Orbison
  14. 19Pink, as cheeks
  15. 21Psychedelics study subj.
  16. 23Public health agcy.
  17. 24__ Speedwagon
  18. 25"Knives Out" actress de Armas
  19. 26Nursery beds
  20. 28Amer. currency
  21. 31North American quintet depicted on the Michigan quarter
  22. 33Grassy mound
  23. 34Gridiron figs.
  24. 37Many a fan of the Hawks and the Dream
  25. 38Bump that indicates a lawn infestation
  26. 39Heartbeat check, for short
  27. 40Humble home
  28. 41Prying tool
  29. 44Uni- + bi-
  30. 45Chewie's co-pilot
  31. 46NNW reversal
  32. 48Meadow moms
  33. 49Syllables of uncertainty
  34. 52Punch sound
  35. 53Naysayer's quaint contraction
  36. 55Charlotte Brontë's "Jane __"
  37. 57Punch sound
  38. 58Night before
  39. 60Due-in hr.
  40. 61Writer's rep
  41. 62Distress letters

The answer to “Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across” in the The Washington Post crossword is BABYSTEPS — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 19, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 57-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across” answer

BABYSTEPS (9 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is BABYSTEPS.

When else has “Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across” appeared?

The Washington Post reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 19, 2026 (most recent) → BABYSTEPS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across”?

The answer is BABYSTEPS, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across”?

9 letters: BABYSTEPS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on October 19, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 57-Across.

Can “Slow-but-steady progress, or the progression found at the starts of 18-, 23-, 36-, and 51-Across” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for October 19, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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